


my resolution

by allpine



Category: Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Some Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:15:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26587999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allpine/pseuds/allpine
Summary: After the fall of the Sector 7 Pillar, you can't help but take some time for yourself before you have to leave the next morning. You're surrounded by the flowers around Aerith's house and think about everything that has happened. And Cloud is there to help you out, to come to your own resolution.
Relationships: Cloud Strife/Reader
Kudos: 36





	my resolution

Dangling your feet over the little cliff with the cool breeze from the night makes you feel more at peace, despite the fact that your home is no more. Instead of going to sleep like everybody else, you find a patch of empty land where there are no flowers to sit on out of respect for Aerith. It's hard to rest at a time like this when your friend is gone and there's no home to go back to--and yet your eyes are forcing you to sleep. 

A whiff of that fresh air mixed with a flowery scent fills your nostrils as you breathe in and out. Tomorrow would be a different day, with new hopes and struggles but you can't bring yourself to forget everything that has happened. For some reason, the tears aren't coming out and that urge to cry comes and goes. You're more worried about Tifa and Barret, but Tifa....you think she's got it worst. With the bar, starting over in Sector 7, and Cloud coming back into your life in hers, it's been a whirlwind. You're always worrying over her, especially now since the plate dropped. But maybe it's because she's your childhood friend and that's what everyone told you to do back home. 

You sigh heavily as you run your fingers through your hair to comfort yourself, your locks of H/C hair flowing smoothly in the wind as you do so. Suddenly, you hear footsteps behind you and turn to see Cloud. Surprisingly, his sword is nowhere to be seen, and it's probably because it's where he's staying at. 

"You should be sleeping. It's late," he scolds you. Well, not really but it sounds like it. You scoff at him and smile at him. 

"But you're up too." Cloud gives you a look that screams 'whatever' but then he remembers to go soft on you. You make some space for him by scooting over and patting your hand on the ground, reminding him to not step or sit on the flowers. He knows of course, after Aerith telling him that multiple times. Cloud sits next to you, keeping a friendly distance. 

Silence fills the gap between the two of you but it's not an awkward silence, but more of a solemn silence where Cloud's presence is helping you feel better. It's supposed to at least, but worrying about your friend is on your mind. 

"So, is Tifa okay? Has she talked to you?" 

"A little. She's sleeping now." 

You smile--bittersweetly--and it puts your mind at ease knowing that she's at least talked her feelings out a bit. It's hard for her to express them. "That's good. I'm glad," you tell him. He agrees, nodding his head. 

"What about you? Are you okay?" His mako-filled eyes are bearing into yours making you feel vulnerable yet safe at the same time. You don't respond because it's not like you don't have an answer, obviously, you feel really shitty right now. But maybe it's because it's been a long time since someone has genuinely asked you that question. Your eyes are all over the place, looking everywhere else except at him. 

Cloud shifts _just_ a little closer to you, not much, but just enough to make you feel better. It works like a charm because you focus on his eyes instead of your own thoughts in your head. Finally, you know what to say. 

"Sad. I just feel...sad," you start crying and pull your legs in, burying your face into your knees, feeling ashamed that you're crying in front of your friend. Cloud doesn't know what to do at all, but he remembers Marle's words. 

"I did everything. I started again with Tifa and I looked after her, I did so many jobs for everyone, I left time and time again to get more money, I built everything," the tears are choking up your words but you keep on going, "with _my_ hands. And now it's gone, the bar and the memories and the work I put into it." You slowly lift your face up to reveal your misty eyes full of devastation, sadness, and heartache. 

You remember helping Tifa start Seventh Heaven from scratch and the look on her face when it was all done. Meeting Barret and joining Avalanche was quite a ride, and yet you wouldn't change your time with them for the world. And Marlene, she was such an angel to you and was like the little sister you never had. 

The jobs you took were all so dangerous, yet you would do anything for your home and everyone else in it too. Sometimes you were away for days, weeks if you had to. Loneliness always resided in your heart but you never complained at all. Because it was all for something good. 

"Everything I did is gone." Hearing your broken voice makes Cloud feel broken too, it makes him guilty for not being a better friend to you, the one who's been taking care of Tifa when he was gone. He wraps his arms around yours slowly but squeezes you tight to comfort you. Your arms find his and you just keep on crying and crying until you can't anymore. Cloud always knew you as an independent girl, and strong as hell, both mentally and physically, and seeing you break down makes him realize that he needs to be better. To not just for Tifa, but for you. 

"I'm sorry."

The crying stops all of a sudden, making Cloud a little worried, but hearing your giggles makes him think the opposite. "Sorry, it's just that you never apologize!" you confess to him, holding your stomach to keep you from laughing too much. 

"I do. Just sometimes." 

"Same difference," you tease. Again, another moment of silence passes by the two of you, urging for someone to speak up. "But why are you saying sorry? You haven't done anything wrong."

Cloud looks up at the stars and takes a deep breath. "When you told me how all you did was take care of Tifa, it made me think of when I left. I told you to protect her, to be there for her. We made a promise but," now he's looking at you, into your red, burning eyes. "But I never told you to take care of yourself," he shakily sighs out. You can admit that what he's saying is how you were feeling all these years, yet the courage never came to talk to someone about it. But here was Cloud, putting the exact words into your mouth. 

"Thank you," you start, "thank you for caring about me." You smile widely at him and he reciprocates, only on a smaller level. You scooch closer to Cloud, placing your head on his shoulder and it relaxes you. He's usually so tense but for you, he eases it just for you. He doesn't mind at all and the reason is that he's not spitting mean words at you like everyone else. 

"Should we go back inside?" he asks you. 

"We should."

But neither you nor Cloud listens, and instead, you both bask in the moonlight for a while before going back into the house. The scenery before you is perfect for a night of relaxation and quiet--maybe a night of coming to a resolution.


End file.
